Omega
by Peter Smith
Summary: The next in my series of point-of-view stories, this one featuring Lord Zedd! What starts as an ordinary day turns deadly as an old ally of Zedd's arrives on Earth, bringing trouble and danger. Just what is he looking for, and why? Why is Zedd so rattled? And just what is the Omega Sanction? Read to find out! Reviews welcomed :).
1. Chapter 1

_Author's notes - hey! Welcome to the next story in my line of POV stories. Jokermask, you inspired me on this one, when you suggested that it'd be a great idea to do one of these for Lord Zedd. I agreed :). You ever hear an actor saying that it's more fun to play a villain, because the villain can get away with things that the heroes can't? It's true for _writing_ villains, too. This was a lot of fun :). Zedd was always my favourite villain - sure, he had a couple of bad days, but he always did it with such style, and had such a talent for zippy one-liners. Like my other POV stories, this one is__ only five short chapters. I want to write a story for every one of my core characters, so there's six to go. I've got some great ideas, but it's slow going at the moment, so it might be a few months before my next story. I've gotta get these characters right, you know, and that takes time._

_As a quick aside, yes, _this story includes original characters_. All my stories are set in my own series (and there's a scene here between Zac and Teresa, two characters who don't agree on anything, but who still like each other a lot. It's an interesting dynamic, and one I wanted to explore. The "shelf" moment is their code word for putting something on a shelf to deal with later, whenever Ranger-business pops up). __However... the original characters get, like, two scenes. This is about Zedd. As you can imagine, Zedd doesn't like sharing._

_With that out of the way, on with the story. I hope you guys and gals like _Omega_ :)._

* * *

**Chapter One**

This has never been about good or evil.

And despite what that sanctimonious twit Zordon would have you believe, this has never been about power, either. This has always been about one thing.

_Me_.

I am Lord Zedd, emperor of all I see.

At least I was. Until _him_.

Until Zordon.

Zordon has been a thorn in my side ever since I first attacked the planet Eltar and he managed to turn back my forces. Forever jealous of my greatness, Zordon dedicated his life to thwarting me on a self-righteous quest to prove his own moral superiority, as if such a thing even existed. We fought across the galaxy, locked in endless battle until the day my servant Rita tricked Zordon into banishment. It should've been my greatest victory, but even in defeat, Zordon had the nerve to defy me. Trapped in the time-warp by Rita, Zordon took Earth as his new home, and he defended the planet as he'd defended Eltar, keeping me at bay for centuries. Matters elsewhere eventually required me to delay my conquest of Earth, so Zordon's precious humankind were spared. Until two years ago, when Rita's defeat finally drew me back to take this wretched planet as my own.

But in the meantime, Zordon had recruited a team.

I've never encountered a more annoying group of young people in my life. I'm sure Zordon and that infernal robot of his did that deliberately. It seems like every time I blink, there's more of them. I wonder if he's ever considered just cloning them. That would seem to be so much more efficient than recruiting off the street. I'm not sure what burns more, that Rita was so humiliated by mere children, or that every day, I risk suffering the same fate. Yet there they remain, standing against me at every turn, brainwashed by Zordon's usual clap-trap about doing the right thing. No matter what I throw at them, they find the strength to keep fighting. The resilience of those kaleidoscopic clods puzzles me. Not to mention, they share a fanatical devotion to each other that I simply do not understand. The twelve of them spend every minute of free time around each other. If I was their parents, frankly, I'd be concerned.

But for all the pain they cause me, enemies make you _great_. Over the centuries, I've made more than a few. Today, thanks to an old ally, the Power Rangers became the least of my problems.

I was standing at the balcony of the observation room in my lunar palace, staring out over the rocky landscape to the blue planet hanging smugly before me. It feels like every day, the planet itself reminds me of my failures, taunting me from just out of reach. It's so close I can almost hold up my armoured gauntlet and wrap my fingers around it, and yet still, it is not mine. I heard footsteps echoing off the stone floor behind me and realised that Goldar was approaching, probably to report another in a long line of failures.

"What is it Goldar?" I asked. "Can't you see I'm busy plotting?"

"My master," Goldar replied. He came to a stop a few metres away and paused to catch his breath. Wary of keeping me waiting, he soon spoke. "Finster has spotted two of the Rangers in the park," he panted. "Now is the perfect time to attack!"

I spun around to thank Goldar for an observation I'd made ten minutes ago, when I felt the tiniest shudder of movement vibrating up through the stone tiles beneath us. It could've easily been a meteor impact on the dark side of the moon, but as the trembling grew stronger, I realised this was something far more malevolent.

"Goldar," I began, looking around in alarm. "What is that?"

"Sire, we're under attack!" the golden warrior shouted, and swung his sword wildly above his head. I stepped aside before I was decapitated. "We need to…!"

"Don't be ridiculous," I said. "Nobody would dare attack me here," and I paused. "Is Finster still working on that earthquake monster? I warned him about that."

Without warning, the room went dark. Goldar and I spun to the balcony to see a massive black spaceship cruising low over the castle, blocking out the view of the stars and shaking my fortress to the foundations as it passed. The roar of the ship's engines through even the thin atmosphere around the castle was deafening. The ship had two enormous wings on either side of its body, with a hooked beak on the underside of the body beneath the bridge. Underneath the main superstructure, the ship's distinctive clawed landing gears sat tucked up against the body. As Goldar and I watched, the ship continued on a course straight for the planet below. Once it was safely out of range, the lunar palace stopped shaking.

"Lord Zedd," Goldar simpered. "I recognise that ship! That's the Iron Vulture!"

I nodded, and Goldar felt heat begin to radiate off me as my body started glowing. "And that can only mean one thing," I said, as the Iron Vulture reached the Earth's atmosphere. "_Crulger_."

* * *

"No way girl," Zac said with a laugh, and bounced the basketball across the court to Teresa. "You're crazy!"

It was a fine Saturday morning. The sun wasn't too high yet, and the city park was already full of people jogging, playing soccer on the grass, or flying kites in the breeze. Teresa had met Zac in the Youth Centre earlier, and after trying a couple of Ernie's new breakfast smoothies, they'd headed into the park and found the basketball courts empty.

Teresa took aim, and the ball bounced off the backboard. "What?" she smiled, enjoying the game. "All I'm saying is that I agree with Ian. A holiday in the country sounds nice."

"Nicer than a big city?" Zac asked. He took a shot, and the ball sank through the hoop.

"It'd be relaxing," Teresa replied, and jogged after the ball. "And it'd be really peaceful and quiet."

"Those sound like other ways of saying boring," Zac said. "Look at Springfield! There's so much to do and see in that place. And don't you remember seeing the city lit up at night from the tourist centre by the river? You can't tell me that wasn't awesome."

Teresa threw the ball, and it rebounded off the board and dropped through the hoop. "No, that was amazing," she agreed. "But in the country, you can go hiking or horseback riding, or just hang out and soak up the sun."

"Big cities have parks and beaches, you know," Zac said. He threw the ball one-handed, and missed by a mile. "As well as movie theatres, arcades, clubs…"

"They also have pollution, traffic and noise," Teresa added brightly, catching the ball. "I think the countryside is romantic. What if Angela didn't like the noise of a big city and wanted a holiday out west?"

"Ouch," Zac replied, clutching at his heart. "Cheap shot. I like that, though. You're thinking outside the box."

Teresa laughed. "Thanks. But that's what I…"

Shadow fell over the park, plunging everyone into darkness. The joggers came to a confused halt, while the nearby soccer players tripped over each other and tumbled to the grass. The basketball fell out of Teresa's hands, and the two Rangers turned to the sky as a massive bird-shaped spaceship passed between the city and the morning sun. The ship was far enough away that the ground wasn't shaking, but they could hear the roar of the great beast's engines. Without slowing down, the ship continued across the sky, and everyone blinked and covered their eyes when the sun reappeared high above them. The two Rangers watched as the ship passed over the city and disappeared over the horizon, heading west but banking slightly to the north.

The basketball rolled away onto the grass.

"Shelf?" Zac asked.

"Shelf," Teresa said quickly. "Let's go." And the two Rangers grabbed the basketball and raced away.

* * *

The clink of metallic instruments in an apron announced Finster's presence, and Goldar turned to him as he scurried through the throne chamber.

"Lord Zedd?" Finster asked. "The Rangers are aware of the Iron Vulture's arrival on Earth! My readings show they're mobilising as we speak."

I paused, lost in thought for a minute. Neither Goldar nor Finster was brave enough to break the silence. At least they'd learned something. Goldar couldn't help but notice the glow from my body began fading.

"Of course the Rangers will involve themselves," I growled softly, rolling through scenarios. "We can count on those nuisances to interfere, can't we? Why didn't I think of that?" and I turned back to the Earth. Finding the Iron Vulture's trail through the atmosphere wasn't difficult. Using my gifted sight, I soon spotted the ship, cruising low over Borneo as it descended.

"Crulger's touching down in the South China Sea," I said, and reached for my Z-staff. "Which means that's where we need to be. Finster, stay here. Goldar? Move."

* * *

The morning was quiet and still as cormorant fishermen worked to the soft glow of the lanterns on their bamboo rafts, floating in the channels between sandy islands. The sun was only just making its presence felt over the horizon, and on all sides, jagged stone peaks jutted out of the mist like the teeth of a great predator. But as the Iron Vulture descended out of the sky, the fishermen looked up in alarm, their faces frozen in fear as their birds began squawking, while rice farmers tending their fields across the channel scurried to safety. Unnoticed in the chaos, Goldar and I appeared in twin flashes of flame on one of the sandy islands. Glancing around, I indicated the jungle behind us, and we stepped back into the shadows of the forest.

As we watched, the Vulture approached one of the larger islands and then touched down with a roar of exhaust. A hatch slid open on the underside of the ship, folding down to meet the sand.

"Lord Zedd," Goldar murmured beside me, "if Crulger is stealing something from a planet that belongs to you, we must stop him!"

I waved my hand irritably. "Enough Goldar," I snapped. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but Crulger could be on Earth for any number of reasons. If he's just here to annoy Zordon, then I couldn't care in the slightest. But I don't think his motives are that simple."

Footsteps echoed across the water, and I looked back to the ship as Crulger himself stepped out onto the sand. He hadn't changed from when we'd last worked together. He was still small and unassuming, wrapped in a flapping black cloak with silver boots and crimson gloves. His face was hidden by a white mask that protected his identity. The rumour was that his face kept changing, but it was a rumour I knew he'd cultivated. What was more unsettling were his eyes. They were soulless and hollow, black without pupils. There was an old saying on a planet I'd once enslaved, that eyes are the windows to something deeper. This was possibly true. Whenever I look into the eyes of the Rangers, I see so much hope and good-will that it sickens me. But Crulger's eyes? They were empty, filled with little more than a yearning for carnage. They'd always reminded me of a black hole, devoid of life or light.

Magic was never his strongest skill. Crulger relied far more on the limitless supply of blades and knives he kept in the folds of his cloak. He once told me that he keeps a blaster in there too, just in case. In hundreds of years, I'd never seen him use it. He may have been annoyingly pompous, but his self-obsession made him no less deadly with a dagger in hand.

Immediately behind Crulger was his general Drektor, his yellow eyes burning brightly through the morning mist. Crulger's slimy second-in-command, Drektor was a hateful beast that even Finster would've turned his significant nose up at. Drektor was equal parts ooze and man, although somewhere under all that dripping blue slime was a powerful warrior with a short fuse and total loyalty to his boss. I've never liked him. The Destroyer knows, it wouldn't be hard to be more efficient than Goldar, Baboo or Squatt, but think of the cleaning.

Ignoring the crowd of rice farmers behind him, Crulger stepped towards the water's edge, and looked up to the towering rocky peak facing him from across the channel. Behind him, a dozen of his loyal shock troopers followed him out of the ship, all wearing black armour and carrying various weapons.

"These are the coordinates," Crulger said. "This must be the place."

"It's not much to look at," dripped Drektor, gazing around.

"I suspect that's why they hid it here," Crulger said, then nodded to the mountain and folded his arms across his chest. "Drektor? It's all yours."

Drektor reached back as one of Crulger's soldiers handed him a shoulder-mounted cannon. Resting the weapon against his body, Drektor took aim at the side of the mountain and pulled the trigger. The mountain shook with the impact as a cloud of pulverised rock was thrown out into the air. But as the cloud of dust began to settle, Crulger narrowed his eyes and spotted a glint of something silver in the low light.

"Troops, up there!" he shouted, pointing. His soldiers obediently charged into the water. The channel wasn't deep, and they soon reached the island opposite and began to scour the rubble.

I looked to the horizon, my sense of unease mounting. Did all twelve of them sleep in this morning? Of course, the one time you actually needed them and they were all busy. Typical.

I turned back as the soldiers returned to Crulger carrying a small silver chest.

"Crulger," Drektor oozed, "do you see?"

Crulger nodded. "The writing on the side of the chest, you mean?" he asked. "That is Dhalian. This is exactly what was promised. A map to the final piece of the Omega Sanction. Get it onboard the Iron Vulture before we're interrupted!"

Of course. He was after the Omega Sanction. Watching silently, I tightened my grip around my staff without realising it. Goldar heard the metal warping and bending in my hand, and turned to me with surprise.

"Sire? You're… glowing."

The sky suddenly lit up. Everyone turned to the horizon as twelve streaks of lightning shot down towards the beach. A second later, all twelve of the Power Rangers had materialised in a line facing Crulger, Drektor and the Iron Vulture.

_Finally_.

Stepping forward, the Black Ranger looked from the chest in Crulger's hands to the smoking crater in the side of the mountain. "Yeah," Zac began. "We're gonna need you to pay for that."

"Ah, the locals," Crulger grimaced. "Soldiers, get the chest onto the Iron Vulture. Drektor, deal with these idiots."

Drektor stepped forward with a cruel grin. "My pleasure," he said. "You know how I love making a statement." He swung his arm back, and it grew in length as he swept it towards the Rangers across the beach. Three of the Rangers dived to safety as Drektor's arm struck the rest of them away in a shower of sparks, the force of the blow launching them into the water. But Trini, Kimberly and Brendan rolled to their feet, unfazed, and charged towards their attacker.

Crulger faltered. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a handful of serrated throwing daggers, and flicked them towards the three Rangers. With a thought, Trini and Brendan summoned their Power Weapons and struck the daggers out of the air. Crulger growled in annoyance, and glancing behind him, he pulled another two daggers from his cloak and threw them straight for the cowering rice farmers.

"No!" Kimberly shouted. Her Power Bow appeared in a flash of light, and she took aim and fired, deflecting the daggers in midair. But the distraction worked. As the rest of the team raced forward to join her, Crulger disappeared into the hull of the Iron Vulture, and the hatch sealed shut. With a great roar, the ship's engines fired. The blast threw the Rangers off their feet, and forced Goldar and I to retreat.

Without wasting another second, the ship lifted off the ground, turned to face the western sky and shot up into the atmosphere, soon disappearing from view.

The Rangers picked themselves up off the sand.

"What was that about?" Peter asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Sarah said.

"That guy was bad news," Tommy said.

"What gave that away?" Brendan murmured, and pointed to the daggers lying on the sand.

"Should we get those weapons and take them back to the Command Centre?" Scott asked. "Maybe it'll help Zordon tell us who that guy was."

"Good idea," Billy nodded.

The two Blue Rangers jogged over to where the daggers had fallen. As they reached for the knives, I nodded to myself. The other Rangers were still by the water, and with the forest between them and myself, I stepped out of hiding and casually addressed Goldar.

Across from us, Billy looked up and saw Goldar and I. Keeping silent, he tapped Scott on the shoulder.

"It's exactly as I feared," I said to Goldar. "Crulger is here because of the Omega Sanction."

Goldar growled. "Sire, we cannot let him rebuild the sanction!"

"If that really was a map to the final piece, we may already be too late," I said. "We don't have a second to waste Goldar. I think it's about time I dropped in on my old ally Crulger and paid him a visit." With that, I struck the dirt at our feet with my staff, and the two of us vanished.

Across the sand, Teresa stepped over towards Billy and Scott. "Are you guys okay?" she asked.

Scott turned to his sister. "We gotta get back to the Command Centre," Scott said quickly. "Like, right now."

_To be continued._


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's notes - Thanks for the feedback! :) Son of Whitebeard - I loved your comment. Guess who gets name-dropped in this chapter? Heh. I absolutely plan to write Dregon into a story, at some point, but the rivalry with Zedd is too good to use in a short story. I'd make Zedd vs Dregon (with the Rangers caught in the middle) into something really grand. Plus, I'm a huge fan of backstory. A lot's gone on in the PRU, to get the characters to where we actually meet them. And this story (as well as a few others) has some of Zedd's tale before he came to Earth. Jokermask - I thought you'd like this one. Great news, too. Keep me updated. The one thing Megaforce has given us is plenty of opportunities to explore and enrich the PRU. On with_ Omega_. Keep an eye out for a political argument between Zedd and Crulger on what constitutes being a bad-guy in the PRU. Enjoy :)._

* * *

**Chapter Two**

The Rangers materialised before Zordon's energy tube in twelve flashes of light.

"Rangers!" Zordon began. "We were watching you on the viewing screen. I'm glad you're all right."

"You didn't see everything," Jason said. Zordon and Alpha listened on in silence as Billy and Scott quickly relayed what they'd overheard. None of the Rangers could help noticing how Zordon's expression fell at the phrase, "the Omega Sanction," and they glanced to each other warily.

"That is indeed troubling news," Zordon said. "I'm sorry to say, Rangers, that you've just encountered Crulger the Reaper."

"The reaper?" Ian repeated.

"Okay, someone needs to stop letting supervillains come up with their own names," Kimberly said. "Like, seriously."

"He may be pretentious," Zordon continued, "but Crulger is vengeful and dangerous. There have been whispers for a long time that he was searching for the Omega Sanction. I'd hoped they weren't true."

"What is this thing anyway?" Zac asked.

"Yeah Zordon, tell us," said Scott. "What's the Omega Sanction? Why was Zedd so freaked out about it?"

"Is it as bad as it sounds?" Sarah asked.

"Unfortunately, it's a great deal worse," Zordon replied. "The story of the Omega Sanction begins on the planet Dhalia. A technologically-advanced world, Dhalia was one of the first planets to be conquered by Lord Zedd. But after hundreds of years of Zedd's tyranny, a secret cabal of mercenaries built a weapon called the Omega Sanction. According to legend, the Omega Sanction was so powerful that even Zedd himself was afraid of it. Rather than risk an open confrontation, Zedd fled the planet, never to return. Dhalia became the first planet to break free of Zedd's empire. This proved to the wider galaxy that Zedd wasn't as invincible as everyone thought. From that point on, as I'm sure you already know, Zedd's empire crumbled away from beneath him."

"Which is what eventually brought him to Earth," Alpha finished.

"What happened to the mercenaries?" asked Trini.

"Once the planet was back under the control of its individual nations," Zordon said, "the various kings and political leaders made it clear that the mercenaries and their business would no longer be tolerated. So they escaped off-world. We assume they've since set up factories across the galaxy, supplying weapons to anyone who can afford them."

"And the sanction?" asked Jason.

"This is where the story gets interesting," Zordon said. "The planet's leaders were able to gain control of the weapon before forcing its creators off-world. But they all knew how dangerous the weapon was. So in case Zedd ever returned, the leaders decided not to destroy it, but to disassemble it and hide the pieces across half a dozen planets. Alpha and I searched for decades but we never found any trace of it. Evidently, one of the pieces was here on Earth."

"The map to the last piece, according to Zedd," Teresa said. "If this Crulger does find all the pieces, it's a good bet he's going to reassemble it."

Brendan nodded. "And if this thing is so powerful that even Zedd's scared of it, we can be damn sure Zedd's gonna go after it himself, then use it against us."

"Which means we have to find it first," said Ian. "Do we know where they're going?"

"We don't have to," Alpha announced. "Crulger's Iron Vulture has engines that emit a unique energy signal. Our computers have locked onto that signal. Wherever he goes in the galaxy, we'll be able to follow."

"Excellent," Zordon said. "Junior team, I want you to stay here in case Zedd sends a monster as a diversion, which I expect him to do shortly."

Peter turned to Jason. "We miss out on all the good missions," Peter said.

"I think that's a good thing today," replied Jason.

"Given Zedd's habit of kicking our teeth in?" agreed Brendan. "Yeah it is."

"Senior team," Zordon continued, "you'll need to follow Zedd and Crulger, and get to the Omega Sanction before them. That is your top priority. We cannot let it fall into their hands."

Sarah glanced to the Blue Ranger leaning against one of the control panels. "Something the matter Billy?" she asked.

Billy nodded. "Zedd must've been aware of our presence, given his proximity to our location," he said. "But conversing with Goldar, he provided us with all the relevant information we needed. Why would he be so careless?"

"Maybe he was distracted," Scott suggested. "He is scared of this thing."

"No, I agree with Billy," Zordon said. "Be on your guard today Rangers. Something doesn't add up about this, and that worries me."

* * *

On the bridge of the Iron Vulture, Crulger carefully placed the silver chest onto the control panel in front of him. Immediately before him was a panoramic view of Earth, but with Drektor hovering nearby, Crulger only had eyes for the silver box. Reaching into his robes for a small serrated blade, Crulger worked the lock for a second and the lid flipped open. The bridge was immediately lit up with a soft blue light. The soldiers on the bridge drew their weapons and retreated, while even Drektor stepped back in alarm. But without hesitation, Crulger reached into the chest and pulled free a small blue orb. He stepped back and held up the sphere, and a swirling holographic map appeared around him. The soldiers all lowered their weapons.

"What is it?" Drektor asked.

"It's a Dhalian star map of the galaxy," Crulger replied. One of the holographic points was glowing brighter than any of the others. Crulger reached for it, and the planet unfolded before his eyes, flashing forth a stream of coordinates. "And it's telling me that the location of the final piece of the Omega Sanction is…"

There was a flash of flame behind them as I teleported onto the staircase leading down to the bridge. Drektor reacted without thinking, turning to the disturbance, raising his arms and roaring towards me in a wave of slime. But I raised my staff and blasted Drektor away in a shower of sparks. He was slammed off his feet into the wall before collapsing to the floor. Following Drektor, Crulger's troops spun to face me, forming a line with their weapons raised.

"Stand down," called Crulger, and his troops backed off. "Zedd," he continued, dropping the star map back into the chest and closing the lid. "What a pleasant surprise!"

I stepped down off the stairwell and onto the bridge, my footsteps echoing off the metal floor. "You come to my planet and don't think to say hello?" I asked. "Our alliance was that forgettable?"

"I assumed you'd be too busy throwing monsters at your problems to entertain me," Crulger responded.

Beside me, Drektor succeeded in picking himself up off the floor. Shooting me a pointed stare, he oozed back to Crulger's side.

"It's good to see Drektor is still as obnoxious as ever," I said.

"What's the point in dispatching your enemies if you can't say something while doing it?" Drektor growled.

Crulger raised his arms. "Now boys," he said lightly, and looked back to me. "You'll have to forgive us," he began. "In the last month, we've had to fend off attacks from Master Vile, Sidious Scarborough _and_ Count Dregon, all of whom have tried to steal the sanction. Unsuccessfully, obviously, but none of them teleported straight onto my ship. I didn't think you still remembered your way in through the Iron Vulture's safeguards."

"So the universal gossip is true?" I said, and swept my gaze around the bridge, settling for a second on the silver box. On all sides, Crulger's troops were watching me carefully. "You're assembling the Omega Sanction. I assume it's here with you. Can I see it?"

Crulger shook his head. "It's tucked away somewhere safe," he said. "As you can imagine, I'm hesitant to show it off. Allow me a professional courtesy?"

"Understandable," I said. "But why do you even want it? It's been centuries since your last conquest. I thought you'd retired long ago."

"Revenge. Sweet, simple and bloody," Crulger replied. For the first time, he met my gaze. His eyes were as empty as they'd ever been. "I still yearn for vengeance against the ruling family who banished me from my homeworld. They hurt me, Zedd. And I dream of nothing more than repaying them in kind."

"That was generations ago," I said. "The surviving family probably won't even recognise you."

"Then I will pursue their children, grandchildren and every descendant I can find," Crulger began. His voice grew louder with every word, soon reaching the crescendo of someone quite deranged. "I will stalk them through their houses and schools and playgrounds, and with the Omega Sanction in my possession, I will have the power to chase them forever!"

"But what's the point?" I asked. "Your opponents have no power to steal, no weapons to smash or shatter, and no skills to overcome. Why bother? What does this prove about _you_, other than the only victories you can manage are ones against worthless opponents?"

Crulger laughed. "And the town you wage war against is abandoned, is it not?" he asked smugly.

I waved my hand. "There are casualties in any war," I replied. "A pile of lifeless civilians is neither my target nor my end game. If they've all perished, who's there to worship you once you've broken your enemies? It makes no sense to me."

"You're arguing in favour of fair fights?"

"For worthwhile victories," I replied. "Otherwise, we'd be little better than human, traipsing through the shadows with knives and masks."

"Your eccentricities still amuse me, Zedd," Crulger said. "Is Earth under your rule yet?"

My body glowed red, and I saw Drektor getting twitchy. But I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and turned back to Crulger. "The reason I'm here is to warn you," I said. "For the sake of old times. Those children you confronted on the planet's surface? They're Zordon's twerps. Now they're aware of you, they will chase you to the ends of the galaxy to stop you. Don't underestimate them."

"Those were the children you've had so much trouble with?" Drektor asked. "You've been at this too long, Zedd. You're losing your touch."

Crulger, meanwhile, could barely hide his amusement. When he spoke, I could hear the grin beneath his mask. "Well I appreciate the warning," he said. "We'll keep an eye out for them. If I need any help, I'll be sure to let you know."

I stepped back. "Good luck then," I said. I stabbed my staff into the floor, and vanished from the scene.

* * *

Finster and Goldar were waiting in the throne room of the palace when I reappeared before them.

"Did you steal the sanction?" Goldar asked.

"No, damn him," I replied. "He's protecting it too well. It's definitely on the Iron Vulture, but I couldn't see it. However, while the idiot was busy patronising me, I managed to get a good look at the star map inside the silver chest. The final piece of the Omega Sanction is buried on a mountain plateau on the planet Morlock. It was the site of a great battle many centuries ago, on an island continent in the planet's north. I know the place well."

"Eugh," shivered Finster, being typically dramatic. "Morlock is such a dreadful place. Nothing good ever comes from Morlock."

"But that's where Rita and I…" Goldar began, then paused. "Oh."

I shot them both a look. "Regardless," I continued, "that will be Crulger's next destination, which means it's also ours. Time is against us Goldar. And I doubt the Rangers will be far behind."

_To be continued._


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's notes - Whitebeard, thanks for that :). Jokermask - in the same way we never really learned a lot about Zedd's backstory, they never really explored Rita or Goldar's background, either, and I've got a couple of stories planned where I'd explore where Rita and her crew came from (the short of it is that Rita originally hails from the planet Morlock, ergo, Goldar's line in the last chapter). There's a scene here too, where Goldar explains a little bit about his own background. Anyway, while the first two chapters were mostly dialogue, this chapter, we get to the fighting. And _how_. Enjoy :)._

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The galaxy spun around us as Goldar and I shot through the comforting black void of deep space. Before long, the planet Morlock appeared in the distance, and a second later, we materialised on the planet's surface. With luck, we'd managed to land anywhere near where I'd intended. Because of the sheer distance involved, even someone of my magnificent power has trouble mastering interplanetary teleportation. My only consolation is that, for all his lectures and plans, Zordon has never quite figured it out either.

Gravel crunched beneath my feet, and I gazed around the landscape to see where Goldar and I had landed. We were standing on a windswept mountain peak, made of little more than crumbling red rock. There was hardly any vegetation in sight, which was reassuring. Nothing annoys me more than life growing for the sake of it. Down a rocky slope lay a wide plateau that was surrounded on three sides by jagged cliffs. I knew this was the right place. There was wreckage and rubble from one side of the plateau to the other. I could see the rusting remains of overturned tanks and crashed starfighters jutting out of the dirt. The shattered ruins of stone towers lay scattered around the plain as if they'd been the play things of angry giants. The entire plateau screamed of battle, of frenzied combat and blood spilled in rage. There was no life here beyond poisonous weeds that had long since choked out anything competing with them.

"Isn't it a glorious sight Goldar?" I asked.

"The view, Lord Zedd?"

"No, you dolt," I shot back. "All that destruction and ruin. And to think, we missed it all. What a lost opportunity. But thank you for ruining the moment with needless human sentiment."

"You're welcome, my liege."

The fourth side of the plateau was a gentle slope that led down to a green valley in the distance. A small village was built along the shores of a wide river. Farms were dotted around the surrounding countryside, and none of the town's buildings looked more than a few storeys tall. They posed no immediate threat, and I put them out of my mind. Turning back to the field, I leaned close to the cliff edge and swept my gaze over the plateau, from one end of the battlefield to the other. The more I studied it, the more I could see a path through the wreckage that steadily narrowed as it approached the only structure still standing, a stone bunker overlooking the valley.

"That's it," I nodded. "That's where the last piece of the Omega Sanction is buried. But don't you see Goldar? The entire landscape is a trap, and Crulger and those hateful Rangers won't even realise it."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Goldar asked.

I shot him a look. "Not today," I said. "Not from what I need of them."

Without warning, a great roar filled the air, shaking the stones and rocks at our feet. I noticed Goldar's fur standing on end. The sky above the mountains opposite twisted and shimmered, and the Iron Vulture suddenly appeared before us. Hanging in the air for a minute longer, the ship began to descend, its talons extending as it prepared to land.

"He teleported the entire ship here," Goldar murmured.

"That idiot," I spat. "That much power used all at once was a neon sign to half the galaxy, who all know exactly what Crulger's looking for. Time is even more of an issue. And speaking of nuisances," and I paused as six streaks of light shot down out of the sky, vanishing behind the hills over to our right. "Goldar, there's only one team of Rangers in the galaxy who travel like that. All the pieces are in play. Let's begin."

Goldar nodded. "What's the plan?"

"I have to time this carefully," I replied, and we began making our way down the mountainside. "We can't teleport any closer. I can sense something blocking it. The Destroyer knows what would happen if we tried. But at least it keeps us all at a similar disadvantage. Now, there's never a monster around when you need one."

I glanced down to the weeds twisting around a piece of wreckage at my feet. "You'll do," I said. Raising my Z-staff, I sent a bolt of lightning into the plants. We watched as the vines grew longer and thicker, twisting together into limbs and a torso. Before long, a figure emerged from behind the debris. The creature had bright green eyes over a body of weeds and leaves, with pieces of wreckage and rubble trapped within the thorny vines. "Excellent," I said.

"How may I serve you, Lord Zedd?" the creature hissed.

"I name you… something vaguely threatening," I began, waving my hand. "Crulger and his soldiers are on their way here. You need to stop them, no matter what. But do not tell him that I sent you. Do you understand?"

"Of course master," the weed monster nodded. He slunk off, and Goldar and I watched him disappear into the maze of rubble before continuing.

But as the two of us stepped through the wreckage of a great starship, we turned to see a small boy picking through the debris. Seeing us, he froze, and his eyes grew wide. He looked all of six or seven. He had a head of dark curls with dirt smeared across his face and clothes. He must've been from the village, either looking for usable scrap metal or just playing in the ruins. I stabbed my staff into the ground with a flash of flame.

"I am Lord Zedd!" I growled. "Tell your kin to fear me and stay away if they value their pathetic lives!"

The boy nodded, terror on his face. Without waiting, he bolted away from us.

"Ah, fear," I said, and turned to Goldar. "How does Crulger not get this?"

"I don't know, my lord."

"I can't understand it. Is he stupid?"

"He must be, Lord Zedd. Shall we continue?"

"No," I said. "There is something else I need accomplished," and I leaned in close. "If Crulger listened to me, then he'll do what I expect him to. So I need one thing of you Goldar, and you'd best not fail me…"

* * *

With his black cloak flapping behind him, Crulger stepped down off the Iron Vulture and onto the battlefield. Gazing around at the barren red landscape facing him on all sides, Crulger's mouth curled into a grin.

"Hmm," he said. "This must be fate. It's my favourite colour."

Footsteps on the ramp told him that Drektor had followed him outside. "Can you believe it?" the slimy general asked. "We are so close to triumph."

"Indeed," Crulger said. "But our goal isn't within our reach yet. This whole field is rigged to deter intruders. It's why we couldn't approach any closer," and he gestured around the clearing that the Iron Vulture had come to rest in. "Gather my troops."

"How many?" Drektor asked.

Crulger considered it for a second. "All of them," he said. "Leave the Iron Vulture here. Even if we leave her unguarded, my magnificent beast will only respond to me. And I suspect I'll need my full army if we are to reach the final piece of the sanction safely."

Drektor nodded, and was about to turn back when Crulger reached for his arm. "One last thing," Crulger began. "We watched the Rangers from Earth touch down a minute after us. Zordon obviously tracked us here. They're on the wrong side of the mountain, but I believe Zedd's warning was genuine, even if he's the laughing stock of the galaxy. Once you've assembled my soldiers, I want you to intercept the Rangers and stop them from interfering. They matter little, but they'll be one less irritant I'll have to worry about."

Drektor leaned in close and grinned a cruel, predatory smile. "As you wish," he said. "I like to give the audience what they want," and he slithered back into the ship.

* * *

The path through the labyrinth of wreckage was trickier than I'd expected. But with my gifted sight, I was able to make a path through the maze, stepping around the obstacles in my way or destroying them outright. It was an advantage neither Crulger nor the Rangers shared, and I knew that with every step, I was buying myself time. I was even starting to suspect that parts of the ruined battlefield had been deliberately engineered by the Dhalians to help protect the sanction.

By the Destroyer, that had been an obnoxious planet to conquer. Really, I'd been doing them a favour.

I'd just stepped around a pile of rusting tanks when I felt the air sizzle and crackle, charged like lightning. Of course, I'd guessed right. There must've been automatic defences designed to stop the Omega Sanction from being reassembled. This reeked of the Dhalians. They'd always been so impressed with their own accomplishments. I raised my Z-staff defensively. The air began to shimmer, and a towering holographic warrior soon materialised before me. He was dressed in traditional Dhalian armour with a stern expression on his face, and he held in his grip a gleaming silver spear. He was transparent, but I was familiar enough with hard light constructions to know the threat he posed was dangerously real.

"Who dares approach the Omega Sanction?" the warrior boomed.

"I do," I said. "Now get out of my way."

The warrior swept his gaze over me, and his expression twisted into one of fear and hate. "You are…"

"Lord Zedd, the ruler of all I see," I finished. "And I'm staring right at you."

"Fiend!" the warrior thundered. "You are the reason I exist! You are the reason the Omega Sanction was devised! Above all else, Zedd must never assemble the sanction for his own means! This day is your last!" As he spoke, eleven more copies of the warrior appeared in a wide circle around me. As one, they aimed their spears straight for me.

Hmm. Always twelve.

I held my ground. "Scan the area," I said. "The Omega Sanction is here, and so am I. That means the weapon is already mine. You exist for a single reason, and you've already failed. And since you're nothing but a program, an alarm clock with delusions of grandeur, I pose you a question. What happens to all programs that are both unnecessary and obsolete?" I paused to let my words sink in. "You get deleted."

The warrior's eyes flew wide. "No," he said. "No!" but it was too late. The Dhalians had always been too clever for their own good, and the programming code that they'd written kicked in before the sentinel could stop it. The eleven shadows vanished into thin air, while the central figure disappeared into nothing a second later, fading away as if he'd never existed.

I looked around, suddenly alone.

Damn it. Nobody had noticed. I only hoped that someone in orbit or with long-range scanning equipment had been watching. It's always the way, isn't it? You do your best work, and nobody's around to appreciate it.

I sighed, and continued on.

* * *

With a wall of soldiers surrounding him, Crulger marched through the battlefield on a course straight towards the concrete bunker. They'd just reached the ruins of what had once been a towering fortress when Crulger held up his hand and brought the entire troop to a halt. A second later, the air sizzled, and a curious buzzing filled the plateau. Then it was gone.

"Lord Crulger?" one of his lieutenants asked. "What was that?"

Crulger shook his head. "I have no idea," he said. "But I fear we're not the only ones trying to reach the sanction. Be on your guard, all of you," and he paused as the soldiers raised their pistols and unsheathed their swords. "There is something strange at work here."

"You're not wrong!" came a sudden voice. Thick vines whipped up from the ground, grabbing the soldiers at the front of the troop and throwing them aside. More vines sliced through the crowd, forcing the soldiers to scatter. Crulger spun on the spot as vines wrapped around the ankles of the two lieutenants closest to him and spun them into the air. With no bodyguards left protecting him, Crulger reached into the folds of his cloak and withdrew a pair of long daggers, raising them as the soldiers nearby fought to free themselves from the constricting vines.

"Show yourself!" Crulger shouted. "How dare you attack me! What are you?"

Two thick vines twisted themselves around a piece of rubble and shattered it to dust. As the cloud cleared, Crulger looked up to see a tall figure with piercing green eyes emerge from the smoke. A tangled web of thorny vines was hovering in the air around the creature, and Crulger's soldiers immediately pulled back to protect their master.

"I am called Something Vaguely Threatening," the weed monster boomed proudly. "And you will never reach your goal!"

"Watch me!" Crulger shouted, and he charged forward.

The monster screeched an inhuman cry, and its vines spun through the air towards Crulger and his men. A thorny tendril slashed for Crulger as he ran, but the soldier to his left sliced the vine with his sword. Two more tendrils whipped towards Crulger, but his daggers flashed through the air, slashing at the vines as they came close and leaving them in pieces on the ground.

Reaching the monster, Crulger dived under a vine as it sliced towards him. Finding his footing, he stabbed the two blades straight for the monster's chest. A swinging vine struck his arms away, and he sliced the blades low, forcing the monster back. The beast recovered quickly and retaliated, aiming more leafy tendrils straight towards him. His arms nothing but blurs of motion, Crulger slashed the vines as they closed in around him, a pile of torn weeds falling at his feet. With the air free of swinging tendrils, he leaped forward, but the weed monster stepped around Crulger and kicked him away. He crashed to the ground and was instantly back on his feet.

But with the monster's attention on Crulger, his soldiers had regrouped.

"We've got a clear shot," one of Crulger's lieutenants called, standing by a troop of soldiers all aiming plasma cannons. "Fire!"

Crulger clamped his hands over his ears as a barrage of blasts whistled over him and slammed into the monster. The beast was instantly torn apart in a fiery explosion that sent debris raining down over the battlefield. With their opponent gone, the soldiers lowered their cannons, but Crulger threw his daggers to the ground and furiously spun back to face them.

"You idiots!" he screamed, as the cloud of smoke from the explosion rose high above them. "Why did you do that?"

The lieutenant who'd given the order to fire shrank back. "Sir, we were saving your life!"

Crulger struck the man across the face. "And you just told the Power Rangers exactly where we are!" he said, and pointed to the smoke cloud, as obvious a sign as there could've been. "All of you, stay here!" he barked, and reached for his fallen blades. "Guard this position! When the Rangers get here, do what you can to delay them. The final piece of the Omega Sanction is not far from here. And from this point on, I travel alone!"

* * *

The six Power Rangers climbed down a small ridge to be faced with a maze of wreckage that looked no different to every other part of the battlefield they'd encountered since they began their trek.

Zac gazed around despondently. "This all just looks the same," he said.

"And I think this is the second time we've passed that overturned tank there," Trini added, pointing to a rusting hulk a few metres away.

In the centre of the group, the Blue Ranger tapped the tablet-device he was holding. "My best estimation," Billy began, looking helplessly around the group, "is that the field disrupting our teleportation is also causing our navigator to malfunction."

"But we have to keep going," Tommy said. "Crulger's way ahead of us by now. Is there anything we can use?"

Jason turned to the White Ranger, about to reply when the sound of an explosion reached them. Glancing ahead, the six Rangers could see a cloud of smoke rising above the battlefield.

"What about that?" the Red Ranger said. "I'm betting that Crulger or Zedd ran into trouble. Either way…"

"That's totally where we need to be!" Kim nodded. Without wasting another second, the six Rangers lowered their heads and raced off in the direction of the smoke cloud.

* * *

Stumbling down a steep incline, Drektor found his footing at the bottom of the ridge and glanced around to see where he'd landed. Towering over him were gigantic stone columns that had once been the wall of an impressive fortress. But now, the slabs of red stone were teetering on the edge of collapse, the dirt beneath them eroded by wind and rain. As he made his way past the ruins, he heard the clink of armour and spun around, ready for battle.

Goldar was standing in the shadows of a nearby starfighter.

Drektor's eyes flew wide but his surprise soon faded, and he shook his head in disdain. "Of course," the slimy general murmured. "You and Zedd followed us here. I should've guessed that Zedd's interest in the sanction wasn't as trivial as he claimed."

"Yes Drektor," Goldar replied, then looked past Drektor's shoulder and raised his sword. "We should be on guard. The Rangers are close."

"We may have a common enemy," Drektor began, "but you're still a buffoon long since past your best days, while Zedd is a simpleton thwarted by children. This is as good a place as any to set an ambush, but when the Rangers reach us? Stay out of my way."

"That will not be a problem," Goldar said. Drektor turned back to the field of ruins, and Goldar continued. "My master Zedd gave me specific orders to do whatever I could to remove one of the pieces from the playing field today."

"Good."

"There's one problem," Goldar growled. "_You are that piece_."

"What?" Drektor shouted, and spun back to Goldar.

He was too late. Goldar's eyes flashed, and fireballs smashed into the dirt around Drektor, slamming the slimy general back into the walls of the old fortress in a cloud of smoke. Shaking his head, Drektor fought to regain his bearings, but Goldar charged forward, slashing in wide arcs with his sword. Drektor dodged one slice and struck away another, and when Goldar stabbed the sword for Drektor's chest, Drektor easily stepped around the blow. The tip of the sword grazed where his hip should've been, and absorbing the blade into his torso, he struck out with his arm, throwing Goldar away.

Goldar crashed to the ground across the clearing. He picked himself up off the dirt as Drektor threw Goldar's sword away behind him. Keeping their distance, the two warriors circled each other warily.

"I should've known!" Drektor shouted, his voice loud with fury. "I always knew Zedd was traitorous filth, betraying his own ally Crulger like that! Did that alliance mean nothing? Are you jealous of my master's superiority?"

Goldar's lips pulled back to reveal his fangs. "Yes," he growled. "That must be the reason."

Drektor roared with rage and charged across the field, aiming high with his slimy arms. Goldar dodged the blow, ducking under a second punch and stepping back around a third. While Drektor was off-balance, Goldar raked his claws across Drektor's face. His hand was lost in a glob of slime, and unfazed, Drektor aimed low. Goldar kicked his foot away and slammed his boot into Drektor's chest. Goldar's foot hit something solid and Drektor staggered back, but Goldar's leg was covered in blue slime. As the golden warrior hobbled back, trying to shake the slime free, Drektor swung his arm in a wide sweep. The blow caught Goldar on the chest and spun him into the air, where he fell to the ground and rolled to a stop near his fallen sword.

Reaching for the weapon, Goldar stood up to face Drektor. The slimy general was now standing directly under the crumbling stone slabs.

"You're worse than useless," Drektor spat, "you great gold ape. It's little wonder that Zedd is such a failure with you by his side."

Goldar stood tall, and Drektor suddenly realised that the golden warrior towered over him. "I am a warrior griffin of the planet Morlock," Goldar replied. "For all your talk, I have something you don't."

"You're not going to say something ridiculous like conviction or experience, are you?" Drektor laughed.

"Actually," Goldar began, "I was talking about this," and his eyes flashed. The battlefield lit up as blasts of fire slammed into everything in Goldar's line of vision. As the smoke cleared, Goldar glanced around the scorched, burned wreckage, and there was Drektor before him, totally unharmed. He hadn't even moved.

"All of that, and you couldn't even hit me?" Drektor asked.

Goldar sneered. "I wasn't aiming for you."

Drektor was suddenly aware of a slow creak that was steadily growing louder. As a shadow raced up his back, he spun around to see one of the giant stone columns tilting towards him with ever-increasing speed. Before he could react, the column crashed down onto him, landing with such force that the entire field shook. Goldar dived to safety as pieces of rubble were shaken free by the crash and rained down over him. After a few seconds, he climbed to his feet, raised his sword and shook the dust off his wings. He quickly saw that he was alone, save for a small trickle of blue slime from under the fallen stone column.

"Good riddance," Goldar grunted, and faithfully turned back to find his master.

_To be continued._


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's notes - Thanks everybody for reading, we're almost to the end. I think you'll like this chapter :) ... Son of Whitebeard - That, I think, is the tragedy of Goldar. Zedd just doesn't respect him at all, but he's still totally loyal. You know, Goldar is older than he used to be, he's a little bit past his prime, but the only reason his hit rate is so bad is because the Rangers are _so_ good. Put him up against someone who _isn't_ a Ranger and he annihilates them. Jokermask - Crulger openly mocked Zedd, in chapter two, for Zedd's habit of dealing with his problems by using disposable monsters. Crulger should've thought about that a little bit more... Poor _Something Vaguely Threatening.

_Anyway, into chapter four! Like I said earlier, what I liked about Zedd was not only his ability with a zippy one-liner, but when push came to shove, he was a total badass. With those two things in mind, read on... ;)_

* * *

**Chapter Four**

The cloud of smoke rose high above the mountain plateau and was soon caught by a strong breeze. But the Rangers moved quickly through the maze of wreckage, heading straight for the part of the battlefield directly below the dissipating cloud. Ahead of them lay the ruins of what had once been a magnificent fortress, but as they raced around a corner, all six came to a sudden halt. A line of soldiers stood before them, blocking the way forward. Every single one of them was aiming a plasma cannon.

"Break!" shouted Jason.

The soldiers fired. The Rangers spun away from each other as the air ignited with fire and thunder. Rolling to her feet, Trini leaped towards the closest soldier. He fired wildly at the approaching Yellow Ranger, but every time he pulled the trigger she was already a step closer, until she struck the gun aside and launched him off his feet with a light blow to the chest. The soldier crashed to the ground and his helmet rolled off, revealing a mop of unkempt dark hair.

Behind her helmet, Trini frowned. "Guys!" she called. "Pull your punches! They're human!"

A few metres away, Jason turned to the Yellow Ranger as a soldier swung his sword for the Red Ranger's chest. The man couldn't have missed, but the blade struck Jason's shoulder and snapped in two.

"You got it," Jason nodded, and casually threw his attacker away.

Across the field, Billy reached for his blaster and converted it to blade-mode. The soldier standing nearest to him fired, but the Blue Ranger lashed out and destroyed the gun. Striking the man away, Billy spun around and launched his blade for the barrel of a nearby cannon. The blade-blaster found its target, and the soldiers around the cannon dived to safety as the damaged weapon blasted itself apart.

Behind him, Zac lifted one of the soldiers into the air with a powerful punch, and the man scrambled to his feet as the Black Ranger followed after him.

"You work for this Crulger creep?" Zac asked.

The soldier nodded, and Zac could see the fear in the man's eyes. "We have families and children," the man stammered. "They need to eat."

Jason stepped up beside the Black Ranger. By now, the Rangers had easily disarmed their opponents, and the troops were picking themselves up off the ground. "Then tell your families and bosses whatever you need to tell them," the Red Ranger said. "But this? This is over. Get out of here."

The soldiers knew when to obey an order, and they dropped any weapons they were still holding and retreated.

* * *

I stepped up onto a low ridge and gazed at the landscape immediately before me. Down below, a small clearing sat in front of the stone bunker. The Omega Sanction was here. I could _feel_ it.

I heard footsteps in the rubble behind me, and turned to see Goldar approaching.

"Drektor?" I asked.

"He made one final statement," the golden warrior replied. "It sounded like thud."

I chuckled. "Excellent."

"Is the Omega Sanction here? Crulger and the Rangers aren't far behind me."

I shook my head, and pointed to the rusting hull of a nearby tank. "No," I said. "We're here. That's all that matters. Why bother going to the effort of removing pieces from the board when they'll happily remove each other? Follow me Goldar, and stay out of sight." We stepped over to the tank and melted into the shadows.

Not ten seconds later, we heard someone approaching. From our vantage point, we watched in silence as Crulger stepped out onto the ridge and jogged down towards the bunker. He was so giddy with the excitement of finally reaching his treasure that he nearly tripped over his own robes as he skidded and stumbled down the slope.

With a triumphant smile behind his mask, Crulger stopped in front of the bunker. "At last," he murmured, and reached into the folds of his cloak. Rather than retrieving another blade, I watched as he pulled a small silver cube out of his cloak. I stepped back in shock. It was the sanction, almost finished.

"Not so fast!" came a shout, and I knew from the authority in the voice that it was the Red Ranger. Crulger spun around angrily as the six Rangers stepped up onto the ridge, staring down over him.

Beside me, Goldar raised his sword, but I held up my Z-staff to keep him in check. "Not yet," I said softly.

Back on the ridge, the White Ranger stepped forward. "Hand over the Omega Sanction," Tommy called.

"That weapon is way too powerful for a psycho like you," Zac added.

"Hmm," Crulger murmured. "I'm paying those morons too much, or nowhere near enough."

Jason stepped towards Crulger, and was soon halfway down the hill. "The sanction," he said. "_Now_."

"Heroes," Crulger growled. "I wonder, how do I keep you busy? Ah. Of course," and he glanced past the bunker, down to the valley in the distance. As his gaze found the village on the banks of the river, I realised what he was about to do. Damn him. _Damn him_. I'd totally underestimated Crulger's capability for cruelty, not to mention the Rangers' irritating need to do the right thing.

Crulger raised his wrist. "Vulture?" he called. "To me!"

The earth-shaking roar of the Iron Vulture's engines filled the plateau as the ship responded to Crulger's command. The great black predator rose into the sky and was over us in a second, blocking out the sun.

Crulger pointed down to the village. "Vulture," he continued, "transform and wipe that village off the map!"

"Crulger no!" shouted the Blue Ranger, but it was too late. With a screech of metal, the ship began transforming. Its wings folded back and its talons slid forward to become arms. As everyone watched, the ship's body unfolded to become the Vulture's torso and legs, its eyes flashing red over its hooked beak. Touching down on the edge of the slope, the giant metal beast began making its way down towards the village. The people in the township felt the ground shaking with every colossal step, and looked up and around in alarm. Farmers tending their herds turned to run, while children playing in the streets started screaming, and men and women in their homes looked to the approaching behemoth with horror.

The Rangers glanced to each other in disbelief. "You gotta be kiddin' me," Zac breathed.

Kim turned to Jason. "Crulger has the sanction," she said. "What do we do?"

"Zordon said that stopping Crulger was our top priority," Tommy said.

"Maybe," Jason said. "But there's an Orange Ranger in my ear telling me otherwise. Tommy? Go after the sanction. We'll save the village."

"You got it," Tommy said, and leaped down towards Crulger.

Behind him, the Rangers turned to each other and reached for the sky.

"We need thunder zord power, now!"

The heavens grew dark, and bolts of lightning struck down from a suddenly cloudy sky, dancing across the valley. In a flash of lightning, the fleet of thunder zords appeared between the Iron Vulture and the village, powering towards the approaching robot. The Black Lion led the charge, with the blue Unicorn and yellow Griffin on either side. Immediately above them cruised the pink Phoenix, with the Red Dragon flying beside it. The Vulture turned to the zords and sent a volley of rockets whistling towards them. The whole field went up in sparks and flame, but the five zords broke formation and the Red Dragon returned fire with a jet of flame, forcing the Vulture to retreat.

"Let's go guys!" Jason shouted, and the Rangers teleported into the approaching zords. "Okay," Jason continued, as the Red Dragon transformed into its warrior mode, "Thunder Megazord, online!"

Jagged fingers of lightning struck each of the zords, and the five robots began to combine. The Griffin and Unicorn drew side-by-side, and their bodies folded up as the Red Dragon dropped down into them to form the Megazord's feet and legs. The Phoenix and Black Lion wrapped around the Red Dragon's body, and as the Megazord's black hands were drawn up over the Red Dragon's fists, the Megazord's black and gold helmet dropped into place. The Thunder Megazord's eyes flashed yellow behind its visor as the Rangers materialised in the cockpit and immediately reached for the controls.

Halfway between the mountain plateau and the helpless village, the Thunder Megazord raised its fists and held its ground as the Iron Vulture closed in.

"Whatever happens," Jason said, "this thing doesn't get past us."

"Good news," Kimberly said, and tapped her monitor. "The scan shows that nobody's inside the ship. It's totally empty."

"You're not wrong," Zac nodded. "Check it out!" From their vantage point high above the battlefield, they could see Crulger's legion of soldiers cowering in the field of ruins, watching the battle unfolding.

"They didn't make it back to the Vulture," Trini said.

Jason smiled. "Right," he said. "No more pulling our punches."

With the Vulture closing in, the Rangers pushed the Thunder Megazord forward, slamming the Vulture back with a powerful punch. As the Vulture fought to recover, the bird's eyes flashed. An armoured panel on the Vulture's chest slid open, and a barrage of missiles roared forth, smashing into the Megazord. The entire field lit up, but unfazed, the Thunder Megazord charged forward, swinging high. The Vulture dodged the blow, and struck away the Megazord's fist before raking its claws across the Megazord's chest. The Megazord stood firm, and when the Vulture attacked again, the Megazord kicked away a low blow, before blocking the Vulture's fist and slamming it back with a blow to the head. The valley shook as the Iron Vulture staggered away, and the Rangers pushed the Megazord forward to continue the battle.

Back in the clearing, Tommy raised Saba and closed in on Crulger. "I'm not gonna tell you again," the White Ranger warned. "Give me the Omega Sanction."

"Then take it from me," Crulger growled, and held up the silver cube. It glowed for half a second, then sent out a burst of energy that slammed the White Ranger back. Goldar turned to see my body glowing an incandescent red.

"Get up, Rita's failure," I hissed, watching as the White Ranger fought to regain his senses. "Get up!"

"That was only a tenth of the sanction's true power," Crulger said. The ground began shaking, and my old ally nodded. "And the final piece of the sanction has heard my call."

With that, the ground in the centre of the clearing broke apart, and a blood-red jewel rose into the air before Crulger. He tapped the cube and a drawer slid open on one side. Reaching out, he took the jewel and carefully dropped it into the silver cube. The cube responded, pulling the drawer shut and lighting up like a star. Crulger let go and stepped back, the cube now floating half a metre off the ground. A pillar of light shot down into the soil, while another exploded up towards the sky.

Crulger laughed as the air began crackling. "It takes a minute to charge," he began, "but once that's done, the Omega Sanction will finally be mine!"

"Not if I can help it," Tommy said, and charged towards his opponent. Crulger immediately sent several daggers slicing towards the approaching White Ranger, but Tommy struck them out of the air with Saba, before taking to the air with a high kick. Crulger spun under the blow and backed away, throwing more of his daggers at his enemy. Tommy dodged the blades and slashed Saba straight for Crulger's head. Crulger dodged the move, reaching into his robes and retrieving his two large blades. When Tommy swung again, Crulger struck Saba away and aimed a low jab for the White Ranger's stomach. Tommy stepped around the move, retaliating with a wide arc from Saba, but Crulger blocked Tommy's sword before slashing his blades across the White Ranger's chest. Tommy froze, stunned, and Crulger kicked him away.

The White Ranger crashed to the ground, panting and dazed, and Crulger turned to the humming cube.

The entire field suddenly erupted in sparks and fire. Crulger was launched off his feet by a massive surge of power that blasted him into the wall of the bunker. He dropped to the ground and gazed around to see where the attack had come from, only to find me standing before him with my Z-staff raised and Goldar beside me.

I looked over to Tommy. "Congratulations White Ranger," I said. "You are officially useless at everything," and I turned to Goldar. "Keep him out of this." Goldar nodded, and I stepped towards Crulger.

"I shouldn't be surprised to see you," Crulger panted, as he stood up to face me. "This was your goal all along, wasn't it? You were going to let me find the sanction and then steal it from me."

"Not quite," I replied. "But you're not leaving here with it."

Crulger nodded. "I know you have need of it," he said, glancing past me to the White Ranger and Goldar. "I learned today just how annoying those Rangers can be. So how about we make a deal, old friend? If you let me seek my carnage, then I'll let you use the sanction on the Rangers once I'm done. How does that sound?"

I leaned in close. "So you can still have your pile of bodies?" I asked.

"And you don't want the same?" Crulger sneered. "Your ego gets the better of you every time, Zedd. I've watched this happen to you for centuries. You parrot this nonsense about worthy opponents, but you want to inflict misery just as much as I do. You don't fool me, not for a second. Your list of crimes is unimaginably long, and far longer than mine. But we finally have this power, Zedd. Let us use it together, and not waste energy brawling like children!" Crulger paused to let his words sink in before lowering his voice. "We are the same, Zedd. Nowhere near as different as you think."

I didn't reply, glancing over my shoulder to Goldar and the White Ranger a few metres away. I thought of Crulger's words for a few seconds more, when my body began glowing incandescent with rage. I spun back to face him.

"**I am Lord Zedd**," I growled, my body shining brighter with every word. "I am many things, and I am _better than you_. You are an _embarrassment_ to the name of evil! People like us should be worshiped and feared for our greatness, not because of our love for wanton and petty cruelty. You are a child and a bully, pathetic and needy. That you think we are equals is frankly _insulting_. You have nothing of worth or value to offer. But if you want power so desperately? Allow me to give you a demonstration."

I raised my staff and blasted Crulger off his feet. The force slammed him into the side of an upturned tank and took the whole thing to the ground. Dazed and trembling, Crulger reached into his cloak and flicked more throwing daggers towards me. I calmly walked towards him, swatting the knives out of the air. As I approached, Crulger stabbed a long blade straight for me, but I struck the blade aside and slapped Crulger away with a powerful backhand. Crulger recovered and aimed a low kick, but I stepped inside the move, bringing us face-to-face. He swung high, but I slapped his hand away and struck Crulger's face, shattering his mask. He backed away desperately and reached for another knife, but I blocked the blade with my staff, before slamming the staff back into his body. He retaliated by aiming the knife for my head, but I caught his wrist and felt his bones crack between my fingers. He howled pitifully and dropped the knife, and I kicked him away.

As he scrambled back away from me, he held up his blaster, but I destroyed the gun with a single shot from my staff. He turned to meet my gaze, and I roared, channelling my power into a single blast that lit up the battlefield and slammed into Crulger, tearing him apart in a massive explosion that sent a fireball roaring skyward.

Down in the valley, the Thunder Megazord struck the Iron Vulture back. As the damaged ship fought to recover, the Rangers raised their voices in unison.

"Thunder Megazord Sabre, now!"

The Megazord drew its long sabre from the scabbard by its side, and raised the sword high. Lightning struck down, charging the blade with power, and the Thunder Megazord slashed the blade for its opponent. Power exploded from the sword's arc, slamming into the Iron Vulture and immediately destroying the ship. Debris rained down over the valley as the smoke cloud began dissipating. Watching the battle from beside the bunker, I glanced back to my faithful servant.

"Goldar," I barked. "Go and scour the wreckage. See if Crulger had anything we can use."

"Yes Lord Zedd," Goldar nodded, and he scurried away.

With only the White Ranger and I left, I turned to the silver cube and raised my staff. The staff was shining so brightly it hurt to look at, and Tommy couldn't help but guess that I was pouring every drop of power into one single blast. He dived to safety as I aimed my staff at the Omega Sanction and destroyed it. The explosion threw us both to the ground and flattened every piece of wreckage still standing in a wide radius around us.

Climbing to his feet, Tommy reached for where Saba had fallen and then surveyed the clearing. The blast had left nothing standing. The stone bunker was little more than rubble. But he soon saw me, standing in the centre of a newly-formed crater. My metal exo-skeleton was cracked and broken, with several pieces lying on the ground beneath me. I could feel darkness creeping into my vision. Barely conscious, I faced my hated enemy.

"You destroyed it," Tommy murmured. "You destroyed the Omega Sanction."

"Observant as ever White Ranger," I replied. My vision was getting blurry, but I could see that Tommy realised I was satisfied with the results of the battle.

"You… you wanted us to find this thing, didn't you?" he asked. "You practically gave us a map to it back there in Vietnam."

"To say nothing of manipulating Drektor into leaving Crulger's side," I added. "Or sending a monster for Crulger to destroy, knowing that it would give you a path straight to him."

"But why?" the White Ranger asked. "Why would you want us to find the Omega Sanction? It's a weapon so powerful that you're afraid of it and… that's it, isn't it?" He paused, and when he spoke next I could tell he realised that he'd just been used. If only my gifted sight wasn't blocked by his helmet. I imagined the look on his face would've kept me warm at night for centuries. "According to legend, the Omega Sanction was so powerful that even the great Lord Zedd was scared of it," the White Ranger continued. "You were never going to use it against us, were you? You just used us to find it and destroy it for you, so that you wouldn't have to put yourself in harm's way."

I leaned forward. "The thing I enjoy most about you heroes," I said, spitting out the word like a curse, "is how wonderfully predictable you are. Rush in, save the day and then run on to irritate somebody else. And you couldn't even do the job properly! I had to step in and destroy it myself! I clearly overestimated _you_."

Tommy folded his arms across his chest. "Not to mention yourself."

"What are you babbling about White Ranger?"

"You destroyed a powerful weapon before it could be used to hurt anyone," Tommy replied. "You did the right thing today Zedd."

"Don't you _dare_!" I roared. "I acted out of nothing more than self-preservation. I'm sure even someone as deranged as Zordon would understand that. No, I refuse to face my demise until my dream becomes solid truth."

"Dream?"

"Your helmet," I replied, pointing my staff at the White Ranger's head, "shattered and broken under my heel. The only reason I'm letting you walk away from this is because neither of us has the energy left for a battle. And what would that prove?"

But as I turned to leave, the White Ranger followed after me. "Charming," he called. "But just for the record," and I glanced back over my shoulder. "You're welcome!"

I spun back to him, burning up as rage roared through me. With an angry growl and a flash of white-hot-flame, I stabbed my staff into the dirt and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_To be concluded._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's notes - Jokermask - I'm glad you liked Zedd's speech :). It was one of the first parts of the story that I wrote, and I changed it very little in editing. Not only does Zedd spend this entire story playing everyone like fiddles to get what he wants, but I wanted him to be physically threatening, as well as delivering an _almighty _verbal thrashing. And it works. Up to that point, Crulger is pompous and self-obsessed ... but Zedd's speech reduces him to a vulnerable, trembling victim who Zedd easily dispatches. __I__t's why the dialogue with Tommy afterwards was really important. Sure, Zedd's a monster who's done terrible things ... but he has standards. __Whitebeard - Thank you :). Like most villains in the PRU, Zedd and Crulger don't really like each other very much, but for the first few chapters, I wanted to show that there was, at least, a mutual working respect between the two, which lasts until Crulger makes the mistake of comparing himself to Zedd, which is when Zedd's ego roars to life with a vengeance. _

_Anyway, h__ere's the final chapter. Thanks for reading, everybody! I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm not gonna lie. Zedd is still one of my favourite villain :). Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter Five**

In the shadow of the Thunder Megazord, the Rangers gazed around the flattened clearing.

"So Zedd was actually using us this whole time?" Kimberly asked. "Ever since this morning?"

"Seems like it," Zac said.

"Crulger too," Tommy added, and then nodded to the shattered mask lying in the dirt. "At least we won't have to worry about Crulger attacking Earth any time soon. What about Drektor? What happened to him?"

"After we destroyed the Vulture, we scanned the battlefield to find him," Jason replied. "From what we saw, I don't think we'll have to worry about him ever again, either."

"What a day," Kim said.

"You're not wrong," Zac began. "When we get home, can someone remind me to find Teresa and tell her that a little peace and quiet at the moment doesn't sound like such a bad idea?"

Tommy looked to his friends. "Should we have tried harder to get the sanction away from Zedd?" he asked. "I was standing right there. I mean, we could really use something like that."

Jason gazed over the wreckage. "Zedd's only gonna get stronger," he said. "It'd be nice to have a trump card for once."

"A one-time-only, just-in-case kind of deal?" Kim asked.

"No," Trini said, and the Rangers turned to her. "Anything that powerful is better off destroyed," she continued. "Otherwise someone else would've just showed up and tried to steal it from us. It's better this way."

"I suppose you're right," Jason said, and glanced up to the Thunder Megazord. "What do you say we head home and tell the others what happened?"

"I believe that's an excellent suggestion," Billy nodded. The Rangers reached for their communicators, and as the zords vanished, the six heroes teleported away.

* * *

Arriving back in the lunar palace, I was in no mood to torment the Rangers any further that day. It had been a rare moment of honesty that had surprised even me when I admitted to the White Ranger that I didn't have the energy left for a battle. It was a week before I was back to even half my strength. But it didn't matter how long it took to recover from destroying Crulger and the Omega Sanction. The Earth was still there waiting for me every morning, taunting me from across the dark void of space.

As loathsome as the idea was, the noble White Ranger was right, of course. The Rangers had accomplished most of the task I'd needed them to, and I owed them a favour. So for the next few weeks, I gave Finster even less time than usual to finish his monsters, and the ones he sent down to torment the Rangers were beta-versions at best, easily destroyed within the opening skirmish.

But don't dare be so foolish as to misread my intentions.

I hate them, now and forever. They're always there, always finding new ways to thwart my ambition. One day, Zordon will see. One day, I'll prove to the Rangers and the entire Universe how great I am. When that day comes, I will finally be the emperor of all I see. And Zordon and his hateful Rangers will have no choice left but to bow at my feet.

One day, that will all come. I'm more certain of it now than ever.

I am Lord Zedd.

Fear me.

_The End._


End file.
